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August 6, 2016While it doesn’t exactly have the eloquence of something on The Players’ Tribune, Brewer-turned-Ranger Jonathan Lucroy penned an essay of sorts on his decision to nix the trade to Cleveland that ultimately put him behind the plate in Dallas.
While the debate surrounding who spoke with who is murky—Lucroy initially stated he spoke with the Indians which was later denied by both ballclubs—the All-Star catcher gives us a tick tock of sorts, discussing the moments where Indians fans went from super excited to super pissed in a matter of just a few minutes as he pulled out his Chump Card.
My agent, Doug Rogalski, found out it was the Indians that traded for me. I was surprised, but I wanted to keep an open mind. Great team. Competitive team. There’s a real chance to win. Doug called Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president. There was one thing we wanted to know: What was my future with the Indians? We knew Cleveland already had a good catcher, Yan Gomes, who’s injured right now. He’s getting paid more than me, and he’s younger than me. We knew they’d probably want him catching almost every day next year. Heck, if I were the general manager in Cleveland, I’d want Gomes catching every day.
We were right. Antonetti told Doug that the Indians couldn’t make any promises on me catching next season. There was no way they’d drop the team option, either, because I’m pretty inexpensive in 2017. I don’t blame them. I would have been mostly at first base and designated hitter. In the end, that was the deal killer. Doug called me. He said, You’re not going there.
Cleveland fans don’t like that part, but it’s nothing against them. It wasn’t personal. If anything, I have even more respect for the Indians because of Antonetti’s honesty. He could have lied to my agent and said I’d play catcher every day next season. But he didn’t. He told the truth. I’m thankful for that. My decision not to go to Cleveland had nothing to do with the team, but it had everything to do with my future in this game. It was an economic decision. Period. I have to look out for my family’s best interests and my interests as a catcher who’d be going into 2018 not having played my position the previous year. I am a catcher. I’ve been catching since I was 12 years old. I love being behind the plate, being involved in the game from that perspective. I love every part of that. I’m not changing positions for anybody. I don’t care who it is. My value is as a catcher, and I know it.
So we blocked the trade. … You can say anything you want about what I’ve said in the past about wanting to get traded to a winner and then blocking the trade to Cleveland. Well, guess what? I did get traded to a winner.
That last line, full of snark and condescension, will be the one Indians fans hang on to with the tightest grip. Just as Lucroy stated he has more respect for the Tribe’s front office, there are plenty of fans who do as well for refusing to cave in to any demands, be they playing time (what is this, college recruiting?) or compensation. The deal between the Indians and Brewers was agreed to based on Lucroy’s value as a versatile player who can excel behind the plate and is under club control for another full season. Once the player decided to change the variables, the value of the deal becomes obsolete.
For whatever it is worth, FOX Sports Ohio’s Rick Manning was on ESPN Cleveland earlier this week stating that Lucroy’s decision to nix a deal to join the Indians has only served to further galvanize the clubhouse. Assuming the starting pitching regains its foothold as the most dominant in the American League, there’s a good chance that the Tribe will have a seven-game series with which to prove the catcher in fact made the wrong decision.
27 Comments
Let’s extract the pertinent components:
Heck, if I were the general manager in Cleveland, I’d want Gomes catching every day.
Indians couldn’t make any promises on me catching next season.
“I’m not changing positions for anybody. I don’t care who it is.
Lucroy is apparently afraid of Yan Gomes and the only part of this entire escapade that could hurt his next contract is that last line I quoted. 30yo+ catchers who can hit eventually get moved off the backstop.
On the radio earlier this week, im not sure if it was Chernoff or Anotonetti, but they said that they were planning to have Lucroy catch next year. So someone is lying. Maybe both sides. Whatever
That was Chernoff.
Lucroy is afraid of a guy who can’t hit above .200?
Does anyone know if the Rangers waived the option?
“Heck, I’d want Yan Gomes catching next year. He’s younger than me, better looking…geeze, I’m not half the man he is. Boy, the Indians are sure smart, and I totally understand why they decided to make that decision to go with Gomes over me…thus, memorializing that this is all on the Indians and in no way my fault, and I’m totally absolved of any wrongdoing. Amiright?”
They did not. No negotiating could take place as they weren’t on the no-trade list.
I believe the story that claimed he wanted to be a free agent next season and wanted the Indians to rip up his option.
Hahahahahahahahaha
No.
Anotonetti confirmed that, on a broadcast with Tom Hamilton during game 4 vs the twins.
I saw this
http://www.letsgotribe.com/2016/8/3/12369388/mike-chernoff-claims-cleveland-indians-front-office-never-talked-to
United front (office)
“Doug called me. He said, “You’re not going there”.”
“We blocked the trade.”
Way to own it, Lucroy.
Lucroy confirms it above. He wanted to be UFA after this season.
http://gifmax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/44-welcome-home-gif-124.gif
You can find the audio of the Chernoff interview online. If you listen closely, you’ll notice he never answers the question: “Would Lucroy be starting catcher next year or not?”. Instead, Chernoff just focuses in on the detail that the team never spoke directly to Lucroy. Lucroy’s version does not contradict this.
Based on Chernoff’s obfuscation and “best kind of correct” answer, I’m inclined to believe what Lucroy’s saying.
“My advice is to ride it out, make an occasional smart-aleck quip, and – by next week – we’ll be back to where we started from, ready for another wacky adventure.”‘
Ya’ll are just lucky that I never delete my browser history and got sloppy when typing in the URL for the water company.
That part I buy. I don’t buy the Indians saying an all star wouldn’t have the starting job.
I wouldn’t be surprised if tampering played a part in how this went down. I can imagine Lucroy’s agent contacting Texas after the offer from the Indians was accepted. “As much as he wants to play for a winner, he prefers to be a Ranger. We’ll veto this thing, but you got to assure me that you’re going to get a deal done.” Something along those lines. It sounds to me that sort of thing happens a whole lot in pro sports, especially baseball.
Over an oft-injured, one-year wonder who has been mediocre-to-terrible the past two seasons.
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Apparently, only if you were paid $98/hr for the comment.
Jonathan, Cleveland hates you, but it’s not personal.
I get what your saying, but it’s rotten if they never got to even speak with the player. And Lucroy’s agent TOLD HIM he’s not going there? Total BS.
His reasoning is total BS. “It had nothing to do with the team.” Are you kidding me, it had everything to do with the team! He didn’t want to come to Cleveland so badly that he had them write into his contract that he cannot be traded here!
Hopefully “no trade lists” get eliminated in the next CBA. Id love to see a study on how often each team is included in a no trade list. I just have a hunch that your traditional powerhouses and big markets are rarely on the list. It just seems like yet another way for the bigger markets to gain an upper hand. Not only can the Tribe rarely lure a big free agent away from them, they can’t even trade for an entire segment of the player pool. Just seems ridiculously unfair.
Welcome home friend
Eff that guy. He’s a liar, and I hope he gets sunburned.
If I were a team, I would reduce the amount of the contract if they want to include “no trade” options. In the end, this hurts the team more than anything, so if the player wants to be selfish to include this in their contract, it should be at a lower level.